James and the Giant Peach (With my character)
by CentiSpiderFanGirl1
Summary: Once I wrote this along with my fan character Butterfly and wanted to rewrite it with much more detail and work. Now this is my character's beginning, going on the adventure with James and the bugs. Each and every single one of them needed a better life than before, and now are set off into a journey to New York. Will they make it? Will their dreams come true? Will life be good?
1. Butterfly mets the bugs

_**Now once I wrote a story of James & the Giant Peach along with my fan character Butterfly in it because this was her very beginning, but this is a new and improved rewrite from an old one I wrote once. My goal is to get this done as correctly as I can. Feel free to give me feedback and enjoy!**_

_**I only own Butterfly.**_

* * *

"Get it Sponge! Kill it! I hate bugs!" Spiker screeched.

Sponge grabbed a kitchen knife from the drawer and started chasing a monarch butterfly with it. The butterfly quickly flew to the kitchen table and Sponge came close to whacking it but the butterfly sharply flew off the table, which caused Sponge to nearly stab the table but quickly turned away from the table and chased after the butterfly again.

The butterfly was flying with it's full speed to reach the open window right in front of it to escape, but Sponge then whacked it with the knife, rather than flying normal the butterfly twirled out of the kitchen.

As soon as it was outside, Spiker yelled out through the window. "Now stay out, you disgusting bug!"

Sponge quickly closed the window and turned to Spiker. "We can't have these disgusting creatures in our home."

"Even butterflies are a disgrace." Spiker hissed.

* * *

Butterfly felt extremely lightheaded as she kept twirling in the air, and stopped until she crashed into a tree and landed on the cold hard ground. She was taking deep breaths as she got up from the ground and looked up at the gray sky.

"Oh god, that was close." Butterfly looked back at Spiker and Sponge's home, and her light blue eyes flared. She was close to death and was only lucky that she was able to escape, only with an upset stomach. That young boy kept coming in her mind, she didn't know his name though she has seen him live with Spiker and Sponge. Memories of seeing him with those woman made her heart race with anger. Spiker and Sponge made the boy do all the work at home and even if he did everything he could, Spiker and Sponge would continuously be outraged with him. Every time Butterfly would watch the boy be yelled out, her eyes would fill up with tears and not do anything about it.

She inhaled and exhaled deeply, then sighed. "I was able to escape, but what about this boy? He's in that house right now living with these witches. And what am I to do? Especially with mom, dad and all the girls dead, I have no one to be with at all."

Tears started to roll down in her pale cheeks until she heard her stomach growl. There was one thing she didn't think about all day due to trying to make her escape from England and that was food. She looked up and saw a giant peach near by and gasped. It was taller than a tree, and it didn't seem to have a single bite mark in it. She observed the peach as she walked up to it, but trembled as she compared to the size of the peach to herself. She tried to reach out to grab a piece of the peach, but her arm kept trembling.

"I... I can't do it." Butterfly whispered to herself as she pulled her arm away from the peach. She kept looking around the yard and her blue eyes got fixed on an odd green thing hopping her way. She took steps towards it, still quivering. As soon as she was only a few inches near the green thing, it spontaneously jumped into Butterfly's mouth and out of hunger and no thought, she swallowed. Her eyes widened and her jaw dropped right after the creature entered her body. Did she just devour a creature that was alive? She felt nausea all of the sudden.

"I.. can't believe I ate that." She wrapped her arms around her body and suddenly her eyes grew widen as she figured out what was happening. She suddenly noticed that compared to the size of a tree, she wasn't the size of an insect anymore. She felt as the size of a human teenager or a young adult. And she turned around and looked at the peach. The peach was still in the size of possibly a tree or a house, but it felt smaller than it was before. Butterfly then looked at the rest of the yard and viewed rocks, leaves and pebbles and noticed they were micro-sized compared to her. "Okay... either I grew or the rest of the world shrunk."

Thoughts in her mind made her jump as soon as she realized something. What if she was big enough for Spiker and Sponge to see her? How would they react if they did see her? Would they have another method to kill her?

"I'm not taking any chances." she turned to the peach and smirked. She walked up to it and ripped out a piece of it with her own hands, having a bit of it on her royal purple gloves. She payed no mind to it and grinned as she saw the sight in front of her. There was a hole in the peach and she rapidly entered it. As she crawled inside, it was nothing more than pitch darkness. She sighed as she had thoughts entering her mind again. Would Spiker and Sponge find her in the peach? Would she get killed? Would there be anything in the peach that would try to kill her? She shook her head and continued to crawl until she was in the middle of the peach.

She didn't want the thought of being alone in the peach so she spoke out as loud as she could. "Hello?"

She jumped as she heard many voices around her all at once. She looked around and it was pitch darkness but still knew she wasn't alone. She saw figures of all kind surrounded by her and she heard what they were saying:

"There's someone else here too?"

"Who's she, hoppy?"

"I don't know. I've never seen her before."

"Is the dearie in danger like the rest of us?"

"I can't even see what she is! Is she something that can kill us?!"

"Calm down. All we need are the lights on and then we can tell who she is."

"Good idea Spidey! Glowworm, lights on!"

"Of course, dear."

Butterfly's pupils went small we soon as the bright light was on. She gasped as she saw what were in front of her. Surrounded by her are a grasshopper, a centipede, a spider, a ladybug, an earthworm and up at the ceiling was a glowworm. All six bugs were observing her as if she was an exhibition. She tried to speak, but stuttered as she spoke. "Y-you guys... why are you guys here...?"

"We're hidin' from Spiker and Sponge." Centipede was the first to speak up. He had a loud Brooklyn accent. "Are ya here for that too?"

Butterfly sighed. "Yeah. Almost got killed by them. Before Sponge went psycho and tried to kill me, my parents and siblings were killed."

"I'm so sorry dearie." Mrs. Ladybug patted her shoulder.

"Ah, don't worry." Butterfly shrugged. "I was never close to them anyway. We were not alike much, and never grew a bond. I haven't really ever been close to anyone."

"Excuse." Miss Spider went up to the monarch butterfly and looked at her with her golden eyes. "You almost got killed by Spiker and Sponge? Because that is what almost happened to me too."

"Y-yeah.." Butterfly looked down. She felt her heart racing as she looked at all the bugs.

"Now my dear." Mr. Grasshopper went to her side. "I promise there will be no one here to harm you. Not even that nitwit, Centipede."

Centipede huffed through his cigar. "Hey!"

Butterfly smirked and nodded. "Alright. I might as well get used to you guys while I'm here."

"Just remember to remain quiet. You never know whether or not Spiker and Sponge are near by."

As the lights turned off, Butterfly stayed silent but had the merest smile. Maybe these bugs weren't so bad in her eyes.


	2. Fascinating things

All the bugs remained quiet until Centipede, completely out of nowhere, started to walk away to get out of the peach. Everyone gasped. What was that centipede up to? Was he going to give away their hiding spot so Spiker and Sponge would find them and kill them?

"Here, now. Where do you think you're goin', Yank?" Mrs. Ladybug asked.

"I'm goin' stir-crazy.I gotta take a look around. Plan our escape from Spiker and Sponge," Centipede responded.

Earthworm started to panic. "Escape? To where? We'll all be squashed... swatted... smooshed!"

Mr. Grasshopper tried to calm the earthworm down. "No one's going to smoosh you, my dear boy. You're six feet long now,"

"Exactly," Butterfly agreed.

"Bigger target," said Earthworm.

"Let the biddies come," Centipede said. " I'll take 'em both on. I'm indefeatable. I'm indivisible. I'm..."

Before he finished his sentence, a small figure fell into the peach. Even looked up and as they saw him fall and scream, everyone started to have a panic attack.

"IN TROUBLE!" Centipede yelled.

The small figure bounced off Centipede, flew over Mrs. Ladybug and Butterfly and slid off Earthworm.

"It's Spiker and Sponge! They found us!" Earthworm yelled.

"Hello," Glowworm said as James ran into her and crashed. As the bugs saw the figure clearer, they realized it was the boy who lived with Spiker and Sponge.

"No no. It's the lad from the house," Mr. Grasshopper said."What's his name?"

Centipede slid in front of him, "Miserable tick,"

Earthworm butted in front, "I thought it was rotten little grub,"

Mrs. Ladybug and Butterfly both came flying over the young boy.

"No no. That's what those horrible aunts call him." Mrs. Ladybug said.

"Yes, but what is his real name?" Butterfly mused.

"His real name is...Well it's...uh," Mrs. Ladybug said, confused as well.

Miss Spider thought for a second. Was he.. the one who saved her from being killed by Spiker and Sponge? Yes, that's it.

"It's James," she said as she came down and stared at James.

The young boy, James, was startled by her so he jumped back and let out a little yell.

"Look whatcha done now miss," Mrs. Ladybug said coming over to the little boy, "Scared him to death,"

James trembled as he saw them all get closer to him. What were they going to do? Attack him? Kill him, possibly by eating him?

"Please!" he screamed, "Don't eat me!"

"Eat you?" Mrs. Ladybug's jaw dropped once she heard what he said.

Everyone else started to laugh. James tilted his head as he heard the laughter. What was so funny?

"Hey Glowworm! Turn on your lights!"Centipede yelled.

He clapped and the lights came on. James then started observing the inside of the peach. What caught his eyes were a centipede, grasshopper, ladybug, spider, butterfly, earthworm and glowworm. They were all wearing cloths! The male yellow-orange centipede had blue eyes, wore a brown hat with a white top brown overalls, and had a cigar from his mouth; which explained the smell of smoke. His accent was indeed from Brooklyn. The green male grasshopper had a black coat, along with white under, light gray pants, white shoes and even a monocle on his right eye. The female spider had a black and white striped body, golden eyes and wore a beret and bandana of the same color, teal. She had a pale face, short black hair, had black gloves and boots on and she even wore black lipstick. She spoke in a French accent, unlike the others. The female ladybug had black hair, a black top with white spots all around it, a red hat with black on the middle where there were white spots, a red purse, black shoes and she had very light blue skin. The shell she had was red with black spots. The female butterfly had eye shadow, a beret, scarf, gloves, skirt and high-heeled boots all of the same color; deep royal purple. She wore a deep fuchsia top along with a short sleeved black jacket, and also wore black leggings, a black belt with a golden buckle and deep pink lipstick. The black and orange wings she had showed she was indeed a monarch butterfly. Her skin was an extremely pale white-gray color and spoke in a soft accent that was actually Italian. The male earthworm was around a perhaps brownish color. He wore black glasses and red bow tie around his neck. The female glowworm had gray skin, white hair, red earrings and a brown dress. The light she glows is a golden yellow color.

"I'm a vegetarian," Mr. Grasshopper said to James, hoping to calm him down.

"I am one as well," Butterfly said.

"I eat dirt," Earthworm replied.

"No one will be eating you James," Miss Spider said with a smile when she came down.

As soon as Miss Spider said that, Centipede pushed Miss Spider out of his way.

"She'll just puncture your head and sunk out the brains," he said.

"Yeah Centipede, that helps." Butterfly glared at the Brooklyn centipede.

Miss Spider stopped swinging and dropped in front of Centipede. She gave him a deadly glare and caused his heart to leap.

"That I am saving for you," she dived in to grab him but missed.

He slid under her and popped out from the other side of her with a smirk.

"Whoa!Pretty fast long legs!" he teased.

The French spider turned around and started to hiss at him, which caused him to back up and climb half way up a ladder. Mrs. Ladybug couldn't stand that kind of behavior. Butterfly didn't like it herself either.

"Oh!Such rude behavior!" Mrs. Ladybug said.

"True that." Butterfly sighed, but then started to muse. "Gotta admit though.. kinda cute."

"Oh shut up." Centipede climbed down the ladder once Miss Spider walked off.

Butterfly rolls her eyes and ignored him, and looked at James with a small smile.

"There's no need to be frighten dear," Mrs. Ladybug said as she cleaned James's face.

Butterfly nodded. "Yeah, nothing bad is gonna happen sweetie."

"But...your enormous bugs!" James said, still not amused.

"Fascinating, isn't it?" Mr. Grasshopper asked.

"We've all changed," Mrs. Ladybug pulled out a mirror, "And so have you James,"

James looked at himself in the mirror and realized he had changed. He gasped and stared at himself through the mirror. Was that really him?

"The old one who gave me the green things.. he said marvelous things will happen,"James said.

"Did he say "Marvelous pigs in satin?" Glowworm asked.

"No my dear lady," Mr. Grasshopper was given a megaphone, "Marvelous things will happen!"

He let out a sigh. "Poor Glowworm. She's a little deaf."

"I however have exquisite hearing,"Earthworm said.

Centipede ran up to him,"Oh listen to this,"

He grabbed the megaphone and yelled causing Earthworm to scream in terror, "Lets get out of here!"

"That is a good point you have," Butterfly smiled for a mid second, then frowned and muttered. "For once..."

"You mean leave the hill?!" James' brown eyes widened. "I can't! The rhino will get me!"

"RHINO!" Earthworm buried himself in a glove.

"A rhino?" Butterfly mused. She has never seen a rhino near the hill. Not once.

"I say dear boy. I've lived on this miserable hill for are no rhinoceros here," Mr. Grasshopper explained.

"Expect for Sponge," Centipede added, "She's twice as big as a kid?"

Centipede and James laughed at the joke.

"And twice as dangerous," Miss Spider added, "My life hangs by a thread everyday,"

"I had to send all three hundred of me children to savor pastures," Mrs. Ladybug said.

"Your aunts are dangerous, you know," Butterfly turned to James with an emotionless expression. "They killed my parents and my older sisters."

"HA! With you call hiding in solid rock is fun," Earthworm said.

"I can't even remember what fun is," James said.

Centipede ran to him, "Well that's because you've been stuck here too to me kid.I know a place that will refresh your memory,"

"And what shall that be?" Butterfly asked.

Centipede started to sing.

"Bright lights, big city. That's where we gotta go." Centipede jumped off a piece of board and grabbed Glowworm's lantern. "Where the food is great and the bugs are so pretty" he sang, about to dance with both Mrs. Ladybug and Butterfly. "I'd like to get my arms around a hundred or so." he spun them around," I'd hug 'em, squeeze 'em, hold 'em tight." he then grabbed Earthworm and tossed him at them. "Sleep all day. Dance all night. I want the bright lights and the big city. That's the life for me, yeah." and then he jumped onto Miss Spider's web. "That's the life for-"

"You little maggot" Miss Spider sang, interrupting Centipede. "Have you never seen the moon? Gliding 'cross the western sky. A dead oak tree by the water side. Putrid vapors rising"

"That sounds lovely, dear." Mrs. Ladybug started to sing. "I'm sure we'd all agree. But I prefer the sunshine.A little park right in the center of the town. Flowers everywhere. Children all around me, I'd love it. Landing on a baby's cheek so warm. It's wonderful, wonderful. That's the life for me. That's the life for me. That's the life, that's the life for me,"

"Glorious, indeed it is." Butterfly found herself singing. "I would love to be appreciated. I wish to know others who loves what I do. To be known for my artistic mind, and to be admired for who I am. That's the life for me. That's the life for me. That's the life, that's the life for me.

Mrs. Ladybug slid in front of Butterfly as she sang and tossed a top hat and cane to Mr. Grasshopper, who started singing next.

"Elegant conversation" Mr. Grasshopper sang but got interrupted by Centipede.

"Bright lights, big city,"

"An elevated point of view," Mr. Grasshopper sang when he kicked Centipede out of his way.

"That's where I'd go," Centipede jumped in once again.

"Intellectual stimulation" Mr. Grasshopper sang as he started to hit Centipede in the head with his crane.

"Yeah, maybe for you," Centipede sang and then left before Mr. Grasshopper made his next move.

"And someone you love to share it with you," Mr. Grasshopper sang.

Mr. Grasshopper, Mrs. Ladybug, Butterfly, and Centipede started to dance. "It would be wonderful, wonderful" they sang. "That's the life for me,"

"You call that a life?" Earthworm asked.

"That's the life for me," the others sang.

"It's no pile of dirt!" Earthworm said.

"That's the life," Mrs. Ladybug sang under a yellow spotlight.

"That's the life," Mr. Grasshopper sang under a white spotlight.

"That's the life," Centipede sang under a red spotlight.

"That's the life," Butterfly sang under a bright purple spotlight.

"That's the life," Miss Spider sang under a blue spotlight.

"That's the life for-" they then got interrupted by the voice of Sponge.

"Where are you hiding, boy?"


	3. A journey is about to begin

Everyone fell silent when they heard Spiker and Sponge's yell that came from outfit. Centipede knew something had to be done, so he ran to the ladder that would lead to go outside.

"Time to go make a pest of myself," Centipede laughed when he climbed up.

James and the others trembled. Was Centipede going to give them away? Would Spiker and Sponge find them this way?

"Look at this place," they heard Sponge say, "It's still are you? You pesky little worm,"

Earthworm immediately screamed.

"Not you! ME!" James said.

"You better not be near our peach," Sponge yelled.

"They are getting closer!" Butterfly jumped.

"Oh please! Don't let them spray us!" Mrs. Ladybug yelled.

"Spray us? They'll see that yank up there and come after us with a shovel. It happened to my brother," Earthworm said.

"How awful!" James said.

"Absolutely!" Butterfly's blue eyes widened.

"Split him right down the middle. Now I have two half brothers,"Earthworm said.

Butterfly felt lightheaded. "Literally..."

Grasshopper shushed everyone, "They'll hear us!"

In the meanwhile, Centipede opened the lid at the top of the peach and looked around. He spotted Spiker and Sponge searching around the peach from down below. They were definitely looking for James.

"Where are you boy?" Spiker called.

"I think I hear a rhino right here," Sponge said.

Centipede looked around for a solution to the problem and spotted the stem which held the peach, causing him to smirk.

"This will be a snap," he whispered.

The sound of him pinching the peach stem caught Spiker and Sponge's attention.

"I really do hear something," Spiker whispered.

Centipede finished pinching after a few seconds and he whispered, "Timber!"

He jumped into the peach before he gets spotted. The peach was shaking and everyone felt it. Their eyes widened and they all turned to Centipede.

"What's that?" James exclaimed.

"Fasten your seat belts kids," Centipede said.

"What do you mean? Centipede! What did you do?!" Butterfly stared at the Centipede with disbelief.

Spiker and Sponge quickly rushed to their car and the peach started to roll.

"We're turning,"James asked.

"What.. what have you done?" Earthworm asked with fright as everyone started to slide.

Spiker and Sponge quickly got into their car and tried to start it. The peach rolled closer to them and they still tried to get the car. They were too late. The peach rolled over the car with them in it. Everyone was running as quickly as they can trying to keep up with the speed the peach was rolling at. The peach rolled off the hill, across a graveyard and flew over a the peach landed after flying over the church. Everyone in the peach couldn't run lost their footing and were rolling with the peach.

"Here stomach, here stomach, HERE STOMACH!" Centipede yelled.

Everyone then got squished up against the wall of the peach as it continued to roll. They couldn't move and were all too dizzy to even talk.

Suddenly they felt themselves rise off the ground again and heard a loud SPLASH! Everyone opened their eyes and looked was piled on top of each other.

"Where are we?" James asked.

Centipede sat up and could see a strange moving object on the used his pinchers to pinch it and he heard a loud OUCH!

"OW! Somebody pinched me,"Earthworm screeched.

Centipede quickly apologized, "Thought you were the spider,"

Miss Spider gasped and quickly slapped the nearest thing in front of her, hoping it was Centipede.

"Ouch!" Grasshopper said, "What was that?"

Miss Spider quickly apologized herself, "Excuse. I thought you were the Centipede,"

"Hey Glowworm! How about some light?" Centipede asked, ignoring what Miss Spider said.

"I can't hear you dear. I'll have to put my light on," Glowworm replied.

A light suddenly came on and everyone could suddenly heard someone crying for help. It was Mrs. Ladybug ,who couldn't get up. Miss Spider let James down so he could help her.

"Help! Help! This is so un-ladybug like," she yelled.

James walked over to her, "Don't worry. I'll have you right side up in no time,"

He helped push her back up straight,"Thank you James. Where are you going?"

James started climbing up the ladder,"To see where we landed,"

In the meantime, Butterfly turned at Centipede and Miss Spider, who were glaring at each other and smirked but then followed Mr. Grasshopper, Mrs. Ladybug and Earthworm to get outside of the peach. Once they were up and met up with James, they noticed a huge difference. They were no longer in the hill. In fact, there was no sign of land at all. There was merely a body of water.

"Fascinating isn't it?" Grasshopper asked.

"What?" Earthworm asked, "What's fascinating? Tell me. Don't leave me dangling,"

Miss Spider then came up,"We're in the middle of the... how do you say? The big puddle."

Centipede climbed up next and heard Miss Spider's comment, "Biggest puddle of them all angel fangs,"

Miss Spider turned to him and showed her bare fangs. Centipede only finished his sentence. "The Atlantic ocean."

Grasshopper then butted in and corrected him,"Technically,the Pacific is larger,"

Butterfly gave a small smile. "That is correct."

"Well..,"Centipede threw his cigar in the air, "That.. goes without saying,"

"But there is land in sight?" Earthworm asked.

"Nothing but blue skies and clear waters," Mrs. Ladybug answered.

"UGH!" Earthworm moaned as he turned to Centipede,"This is all your fault!"

Centipede jumped back, "HEY! Wasn't for me, we'd all be Spiked and Sponged by now,"

Miss Spider interrupted the argument, "This old man with his green things... did he happen to speak where we are going?"

James looked at her," he said was the answer would be right here,"

When James touched his chest where is heart was, he could here paper crumble. He looked in his jacket and pulled out a piece of paper. It said New York on it. It was his travel book.

"My travel book,"he opened it up and saw the peach marked on the map from England to New York,"And look!There's the peach!We're going to New York City!"

Everyone's eyes grew wide. New York City? A new home? It could make dreams come true!

"New York?" Centipede asked, "They love me there!"

"Wonderful!" James said, "They've got a whole park full of leaves for you, Mrs. Ladybug,"

Mrs. Ladybug looked at the picture James was pointing at and smiled.

"Central Park!" Centipede said to her.

"And loads of dark hiding places," James continued.

A smile crept across Miss Spider's face.

"Night clubs," Centipede said to her.

"And there's a lot of fashion designing in New York, Miss Butterfly." James turned to Butterfly.

Butterfly's bright blue eyes lite up and she gave the boy a small smile.

"Fashion shows," Centipede jumped in front of her.

"And museums and concerts," James said, showing Mr. Grasshopper the picture.

"Not to mention Yankee Stadium," Centipede said to him.

"What about me?" Earthworm felt like there was nothing in New York for him.

"Why they got miles and miles of underground tunnels," James said.

Earthworm smiled.

"The subway!" Centipede said to him.

"My father says it's the place where dreams come true," James said.

Everyone started singing 'That's The Life For Me' until Mr. Grasshopper spoke.

"New York it is then! Now how do we get there?" Mr. Grasshopper asked.

Centipede stood up, "I'll get us there,"

"You?" Mr. Grasshopper asked.

"Sure. I've sailed all the five seas," Centipede said, getting in Miss Spider's face. ,"From the sun drenched wreaths of Bora Bora to the icy shores of Tripoli,"

"Oh really?" Butterfly's tone was unamused.

"Commodore Centipede they used to call me," Centipede smirked.

Mr. Grasshopper rolled his eyes and counted all the seas. Centipede was missing two seas.

"Seven,"

"Huh?" Centipede was dumbfounded.

"There are seven seas and Tripoli is in the sun tropics...Commodore," he corrected Centipede.

Centipede ignored his statement. "Trim the sails!"

"There are no sails," Mrs. Ladybug explained.

"Stoke the engines!" he yelled again.

"There are no engines," Earthworm said.

"Is there anything on this peach?!" Centipede asked.

"No there isn't, Commodore," Butterfly said sharply, rolling her eyes.

"I can't work with this miserable crew!" he said throwing his hat on the ground.

"What an attitude...," Butterfly glared. "Like it's our fault."

"Great! We're stuck here until we shrivel up and die," Earthworm said.

"Highly improbable," Mr. Grasshopper said cleaning his eye piece.

"That's a relief," Mrs. Ladybug said.

"Then what will happen?" Butterfly pondered.

"We're far more likely to drown," Mr. Grasshopper said.

Everyone gasped. Was it the end for them then? Were they doomed to die at sea?

James stood on top of the stem and looked to the sky. He saw a flock of seagulls and started to smile.

"I know! We could...," he stopped himself, "No. It's a stupid idea,"

"Compared to what?" Mr. Grasshopper looked over at Centipede.

"Hey!" Centipede snapped.

"Well, we could fly out," James said.

Everyone mused for a few seconds. Centipede was the first to speak.

"He's right. It's stupid," Centipede said, which caused Mr. Grasshopper to glare at him.

"How would you do it James?" Mrs. Ladybug looked up at James.

"With the seagulls, but we'll need string," James answered.

"Oh well I'll just go to the stationer's and pick up some paper clips while I'm at it!" Earthworm said.

"I have string," Miss Spider said, revealing her string. "Miles of string,"

"And we'll need bait. Bird bait," James said.

"Bird bait? Where do you expect we're going to find bird bait out here in the middle of the...the..?" Earthworm stopped and looked around.

Centipede, Mr. Grasshopper, Mrs. Ladybug and Butterfly stared at him with smirks. Mrs. Ladybug pulled a cow bell out of her handbag. Earthworm knew what was coming.

"Oh no. Oh no! Have you lost your minds?" Earthworm panicked.

All four of them grabbed Earthworm and dragged him back inside the peach and tied the bell around him, which caused him to scream.


	4. Battling the robot shark

Earthworm, with the bell tied around him was lying at the top of the peach while everyone else was inside waiting for the first seagull.

"They've lost their minds! Anything, but birds," Earthworm yelled.

James, who along with Centipede was hiding in the main tunnel that led up to the was top. Centipede was holding Earthworm while James had the string at the end.

"Don't worry. I'm right here. Now wiggle," James whispered.

"NO!" Earthworm yelled.

"But they won't come if you don't wiggle," James said.

"Exactly and you can't make me," Earthworm said.

Centipede was obviously tired of hearing this. He ran up to Earthworm not wanting to hear it anymore.

"Oh yeah!"Centipede laughed. He started tickling Earthworm, causing him to laugh hard and wiggle.

"Oh! HEY! No fair! Mockingbirds munched my mother!" Earthworm yelled while laughing.

As Earthworm wiggled, the bell started to ring. He continued to laugh until a seagull heard him and flew over to him.

James noticed the bird. "Here comes the first one. Get ready to pull down there,"

"My sisters were swallowed by swallows!" Earthworm yelled.

The sound of the bird could be heard and James gave the signal.

"Pull!" he yelled.

Everyone pulled Earthworm back inside the peach and James threw the string, which got caught around the bird to keep it from escaping. He then quickly tied it to the stem to keep it from escaping.

"It worked! I got one!" he yelled.

"Shhh. I hear teeth. Great,big,gnashing teeth!" Earthworm yelled.

A low rumbling sound could be was coming from the ocean. There was a whirlpool in it causing the sound.

"Sounds like a rhinoceros!" James said terrifyingly.

Mr. Grasshopper and Centipede came out to see for themselves.

"In the ocean? Scientifically impossible," Mr. Grasshopper said.

From down below, Miss Spider could hear it.

"I hear something too," she said.

Butterfly, also in the peach, mused for a few seconds. "What must it be?"

Mr. Grasshopper looked through his monocle and his eyes widened.

"It's a school of tuna. They're being sucked into some sort of machine."

"What do you mean?" James asked as he turned to him.

Mr. Grasshopper gave him his monocle, "Take a look!"

James looked through the monocle and saw a giant, metal shark pop out of the water.

"It's a giant shark!"James yelled.

Centipede took the monocle and looked through it and saw the shark. He jumped as it started whistling.

"It seemed to have spotted us!" Centipede said tremulously.

Everyone gasped and watched as the shark started swimming toward them.

"What do we do?" Centipede asked, turning to James and shaking him back and forth, "WHAT DO WE DO?!"

James pointed toward the seagulls, "The seagulls! It's our only chance!"

Mr. Grasshopper counted the seagulls, "It would take the whole flock and then some. We'll never do it in time,"

The sound of that made Centipede take off his hat, holding it, and made him shake.

"We'll use Miss Spider's web for a net. Hurry!" James said.

Miss Spider quickly took down her web as she heard that.

"Throw it here, dearie!" Mrs. Ladybug yelled to get it.

Miss Spider threw the web toward Mrs. Ladybug who passed it to Butterfly and she threw it up to James.

"Here you go, James!" Butterfly said, throwing it to him.

"Wiggle, Mr. Earthworm!" James pleaded. "Our lives depend on it!"

"I can't, I'm all wiggled out." he said as he tried to get back in the peach.

Centipede groaned. No more of this should be heard. He grabbed him before he got in.

"Here, let me help you." he grinned. The centipede was definitely up to something.

He tossed him up, grabbed his tail, and began to spin him around, causing him to scream. He was being spun so hard that the bell started ringing.

"Come and get it!" Centipede yelled to the seagulls. "Get your fresh, hot wienie!"

The seagulls heard the sounds of his yells and and seeing the worm and flew. The shark continued to swim closer in the meantime.

Centipede spotted the birds. "Come on, baby!"

When the seagulls were close enough, he jumped back into the peach with Earthworm. In the meantime, James got the seagulls with the net from Miss Spider's web.

"I got them! Hand me the loops!"

Miss Spider, Butterfly and Mrs. Ladybug threw up strings for James to use. James tied the strings to the stem and got Mr. Grasshopper and Centipede to help with tying the seagulls up as quickly as possible.

"Hurry!" James yelled.

"Shake a leg there!" Mr. Grasshopper glared at Centipede.

"Keep your pants on! I've only got twelve hands!"

Without the three noticing, the shark swam closer and closer to the peach.

"It's getting closer!" Earthworm cried out from in the tunnel.

After the seagulls were all tied up to the peach, the net got off of them causing them to fly up in the air to carry the peach away.

"Seagulls away!" Centipede yelled.

Due to the flock of birds flying, the peach rose up to the sky. Immediately the giant shark shot out a canon. That caused a metal cable to come out of the shark and fly over to the peach. The harpoon was strong enough to cut through the peach and inside, where it almost hit Miss Spider, Butterfly and Mrs. Ladybug and caused the three to gasp.

"Oh, no!" James yelled as he looked at the peach.

Mr. Grasshopper turned to the peach as well. "Oh, dear!"

Due to the peach being caught by the shark's harpoon, it stopped. The motion stopped so sudden that Centipede fell off and landed on the cable, close to falling in the ocean. He grabbed on cable in time and caught his hat with one of his many arms.

A flying jaw flew over Centipede, which caused him to scream. It then flew over the peach and chomped it's way through some of the string that held the seagulls, who later started flying away from the peach.

"They're getting away!" James yelled.

"Hop on, James!" Mr. Grasshopper said.

James quickly hopped on the insect's back, and Mr. Grasshopper jumped with full strength to catch up with the seagulls.

"Now, nab them!" Mr. Grasshopper grabbed the strings that held the seagulls while James grabbed one, and quickly tugged them.

Two jaws, that came from the metal shark, headed towards James and Mr. Grasshopper. As soon as that caught their attention, they screamed at the top of their lungs. "Help!"

"What was that?" Butterfly's curled up antennas started to shook as she was on the ladder in the peach pit.

"It's James and Mr. Grasshopper!" Mrs. Ladybug exclaimed. "They're in danger!"

Before Butterfly could even blink, Mrs. Ladybug crawled up the tunnel. Butterfly hesitantly followed her and as soon as they crawled out, they each spread their wings and took flight. They were heading towards the direction by the sound of James and Mr. Grasshopper's yells and the chomping jaws.

"Ready dearie?" Mrs. Ladybug asked Butterfly, having her eyes were focused on the jaws.

Butterfly nodded, "Yes."

"Hooligans! Ruffians!" Mrs. Ladybug yelled as she hit a jaw with her purse.

In the meantime, Butterfly kicked the other jaw with her high heeled boots.

Each of the jaws fell into the ocean with a splash sound.

"Degenerates!" Mrs. Ladybug yelled, then turned to Butterfly, who gave her a hand gesture.

"Well done, Mrs. Ladybug."

"You too, dearie."

Mr. Grasshopper and James landed on the peach with the strings that were holding on to the seagulls. After getting off of Mr. Grasshopper's back, James quickly tied the strings back on the stem. At the same time, Mrs. Ladybug and Butterfly flew back to the peach.

"Come on, seagulls!" James yelled.

"Put your backs into it!" Mr. Grasshopper yelled.

"Shake your blooming tail feathers!" Mrs. Ladybug yelled.

Miss Spider remained in the peach pit to take care of the sharp object that was shot at the peach. She mused. "What am I to do?"

In the meantime, Centipede was on the cord that was connected between the peach and the shark.

Tremulously, Centipede tried to slowly get back to the peach. "Good sharky... nice sharky..."

In the peach, Miss Spider found a hammer. A light bulb lit up on the top of her head. She quickly ran to it, grabbed it and started hammering through the harpoon.

Centipede lost grip and slid back to where the shark was at. "SHARKY!"

As Centipede stopped himself from falling into the shark's mouth by grabbing on the cord, Miss Spider kept hammering through the harpoon. Every time the cord was hit, Centipede was closer to the shark's giant jaw. He could take no more of this. With all his strength, he ran towards the peach. Just when he was at the edge of the peach, Miss Spider completely hammered out the cord. It caused Centipede to nearly fall out of the peach but he grabbed a bit of the boards of the peach and pulled himself up. He put his hat back on and ran all the way to the top of the peach where James and all the other bugs were at.

Centipede came to the top in time to see the robot shark explode and see all the bugs to cheer. Centipede then jumped to the edge and yelled at the shark that has just been destroyed. "Teach you to mess with me you ya, overgrown sardine! I'm from Brooklyn!" Centipede yelled.

Mr. Grasshopper laughed, "Pure twaddle! Every bug on board displayed extraordinary courage. Why did you see Mrs. Ladybug and Butterfly both risked their lives and wing to bash those brutes on the snoot?"

"Well, they were being very rude.I can't abide rudeness," Mrs. Ladybug said.

"Agreed. And why would we let you guys get hurt?" Butterfly gave a small smirk and wink.

"We are all forgetting something," Miss Spider said as she walked towards James, "Everything we did was part of the brilliant plan of James,"

"Oh yes yes," Butterfly nodded and smiled at James. "That's absolutely true."

"It really did work. Didn't it?" James asked as he looked at everyone.

Everyone nodded.

"I say three cheers for hip...," Mr. Grasshopper started.

"Hooray!"

"Hip hip...!"

"Hooray!"

"HIP...HIP...!,"

Everyone joined in, "HOORAY!"

Centipede ran over to the stem of the peach and pushed it, "New York, here we come!"

The peach soared through the sky and with that, it was time to go to New York.


	5. This fantastic peach

The peach flew high up to the was excited about reaching New York, but there was one problem and that was food. Everyone was silent at first but then Centipede started to complain.

"Want food. Food," Centipede said as he rubbed his growling stomach.

Centipede looked around the peach for food. He ended up taking a bite of his cigar.

"You sure you know where we're going? I don't see how you can navigate without a compass," Mr. Grasshopper said.

For a moment there, he changed from bug to wine and cheese. Centipede quickly rubbed his eyes from the hallucination and turned to Earthworm.

"It's very hot up here. I'm roasted," he said.

In Centipede's eyes, he turned from a worm to a hotdog. Centipede shook his head with disgust and looked up at the seagulls and hallucinated again, seeing a seagull turn into a chicken.

He panted and looked around to make sure no one saw him. The coast was clear. He pulled on the string that brought the seagull down. Before he was able to bit the bird, Mrs. Ladybug swiftly hit him on the head with her purse.

"Unhand that bird!" she yelled.

The seagull bit and pulled on Centipede's nose, which caused him to scream. His mouth went dry after the bird let go.

"But I'm dying of hunger!" Centipede whined.

"Perhaps I have a bit of soda bread in here somewhere," Mrs. Ladybug said as she searched through her purse.

Mr. Grasshopper twitched his antennas when he heard her. "Food?"

"It's not much, but it's...," Mrs. Ladybug was stopped by Mr. Grasshopper.

"Not so fast!" Mr. Grasshopper yelled. He took the piece of bread.

"Hey!" Centipede yelled.

"You?" Mrs. Ladybug asked.

"I need this food!" Mr. Grasshopper said taking a bite of the bread, "I have a much higher metabolism,"

"BITE ME!" Centipede yelled.

Centipede then jumped at Mr. Grasshopper and started to wrestle him for the piece of bread.

"Have you two gone mad?" Mrs. Ladybug asked.

The fight attracted the rest of the group. Both Miss Spider and Butterfly came up to the top of the peach, Earthworm started to drool while watching the food be tossed around and James, who was sitting on the piece of fence stuck in the peach stood up to see what was going on.

"LET GO OF IT GRAMPS! GIVE IT! GIVE IT TO ME!"Centipede yelled at the insect.

"Let go of my coat!" Mr. Grasshopper yelled.

"GIVE IT TO ME!"

"OW! My lower thorax!"

"I'LL RIP YOU APART!"

"I tell you, it's mine!"

"GIVE...IT...BACK!" Centipede yelled trying to grab the piece of food with his pinchers, but it missed and he knocked it out of Mr. Grasshopper's hand.

They both watched as the piece of food bounced off the peach and fell off the peach. Both Centipede and Mr. Grasshopper eyes widened and then turned toward each other and growled.

"NOW LOOK WHAT YOU'VE DONE!" they both yelled at each other.

They started wrestle again and started to choke each other.

Earthworm started to whine. "We're going to starve. Waste away. And not quickly!"

"My oh my," Butterfly eyes followed the fighting centipede and grasshopper. "Those two are going to kill each other and we're not going to have anything to eat."

James looked down at the peach and smiled a bit.

"Oh no! That would be the easy way out. We'll linger. Sadly. Miserably. Painfully," Earthworm continued to whine.

"Oh Earthworm..." Butterfly rolled her eyes. "Please, just stop."

"Nobody's going to starve!" James laughed.

The fight between Centipede and Mr. Grasshopper stopped and Earthworm stopped his whining. The bugs attention was now on James.

"Don't you see? We have enough food here for five voyages," James explained as he climbed down the peach.

"Food? Where? What are you talking about?" Centipede asked rapidly.

"Is there really food?" Mr. Grasshopper asked.

"But where?" Butterfly mused.

"Our whole ship is made of food," James said holding a pile of peach.

"Oh, such a clever little boy," Mrs. Ladybug took a piece.

"I wonder why we never noticed that," Butterfly said as she took a piece for herself too.

Mr. Grasshopper took another piece and Centipede took what was left, which was the entire pile of took a huge bite of his piece and stuffed it in his mouth.

"Takes after me," Centipede said with his mouth full.

Miss Spider rolled her eyes snatched his piece, "After you, there is nothing left to take,"

Mr. Grasshopper started to eat the pieces that were left of his off of his coat, "It's delectable,"

"Very delicious," Butterfly said as she took her first bite out of hers.

"Better than aphids," Mrs. Ladybug said.

"Better than ladybugs,"Miss Spider said as she learned into her food.

"WHAT?!" Mrs. Ladybug eyes widened as she stared at Miss Spider.

"Excuse," Miss Spider said sheepishly.

"It's not dirt," Earthworm took his piece, "But it's not bad,"

"Not bad? It's the best thing I've ever tasted and I have tasted a lot," Centipede said jumping back into the peach followed by the others.

They started to get set up for dinner. They used a tablecloth and a bucket for a table and plates. Centipede and James went up to the wall of the peach and got some peach. James gave Centipede the pile of peach and Centipede broke into a song.

"I've eaten many strange and scrumptious dishes in my time. Like chili bugs and curried slugs and earwigs cooked in slime. And mice with rice is very nice when they're roasted in their prime, but don't forget to sprinkle them with just a pinch of grime," Centipede sang. He sprung the pile of peach around on a plate and cut it up into slices.

Everyone took a slice and started to eat while Centipede continued to sing.

"I'm crazy about mosquitoes on a piece of butter toast and pickle spines of porcupines and a great big roast and dragon's flesh quite old not fresh. It costs a bucket at most," Centipede sang while handing Glowworm her slice of peach.

"Does it come with gravy?" Glowworm asked.

"It comes to you in barrels if you order it by post," Centipede sang while trying to give Miss Spider a slice that was carved into a flower.

She took it, but he got slapped for it. James and the others started to circle around the bucket and bow to each other. Suddenly a giant sphere of peach came rolling down the tunnels and ladders inside the peach. Everyone quickly turned the bucket over before the sphere hit the ground.

"It comes to you in barrels if you order it by post," everyone then decided to join in the song.

A piece of peach flew onto James' face and it caused him to fall back. Mr. Grasshopper helped him back up and started to sing.

"For dinner on my birthday, shall I tell you what I chose? Hot noodles made of poodles on a slice of garden hose and a rather smelly jelly made of armadillos toes. The jelly is delicious, but you have to hold your nose,"

Mr. Grasshopper started to smash the peach that landed in the bucket. Mrs. Ladybug grabbed some glasses out of her purse and started to fill it up with the smashed peach.

"I crave the tasty tentacles of octopi for tea. I like hotdogs, but I love hot frogs and surely you'll agree. A plate of soil with engine oil is a super recipe. I hardly need to mention that it's practically free," Mrs. Ladybug sang.

"We hardly need to mention that it's practically free!" everyone sang.

Centipede showed up carrying a huge piece of peach on the top of his head. The piece was bigger than the one that landed in the bucket before.

"Now comes my fellow travelers the burden of my speech," he began.

"You show off" Miss Spider yelled at him.

"These foods are rare beyond compare and some right out of reach," Centipede let the piece of peach go and it landed on James and everyone else despite Miss Spider.

"Nice aim, Commodore," Miss Spider teased with a smirk on her face.

"But there's no doubt I'd go without a million plates of each," he continued.

He slid down and got close to Miss Spider's face, which caused her to glare deadly.

"Out of my FACE!" she hissed, throwing her drink at him.

"For one small mite...," he started as he leaned into her face again.

Mrs. Ladybug and Earthworm popped out of the pile of peach on the floor, "One small mite,"

"One tiny bite...,"Centipede sang.

James, Butterfly and Mr. Grasshopper popped out of the peach pile, "Tiny bite of this...!"

Everyone expect Miss Spider joined in as Centipede turned the knob on the top of the pipe Miss Spider was hiding in.

"Fantastic...," they all sang. Miss Spider was then sliding out of the pipe thanks to a river of peach flowing through the pipe, "PEACH!"

Everyone started to throw pieces of the peach together like a snowball fight. Miss Spider pointed at Centipede, which caught everyone's attention and they all threw a balls made out of the peach at him and managed to hit him and knock him down. He then joined the food fight.

"This fantastic peach!"


	6. An unforgettable night

When the dinner party ended, Centipede went up to his post to stir the peach and everyone else started to fall asleep. James and Miss Spider were talking while Miss Spider built a web for James to sleep on.

"You keep to yourself, don't you?" James asked.

"I prefer to be alone," Miss Spider answered.

"I was alone for a long time once. I think it's much nicer to have friends, don't you?" James asked once again.

"I would not know," Miss Spider said.

"They would be your friends too. The others, I mean. If you would just let them," James suggested.

"No. It is in their nature to have fear of me. This I can not change," Miss Spider said.

"You're very kind to me," James said.

"Maybe this is because you are kind to me first," Miss Spider said.

James stared at her. He realized something about her. Was she the very same spider from before?

"You were the spider in my window," James said.

Miss Spider smiled and nodded. "Mmm hmm."

"You were my first friend. I mean, since I went to live with my aunts. They hated me!"James yelled.

Miss Spider put her hand to his lips and whispered, "Shhhh. Do not think of them now,"

"But what if they find us? What if we don't make it to New York? I'll die if I have to go back to the way I was,"James said as Miss Spider finished up a blanket for James, "They can't make me!"

"Nobody can make you do anything James," Miss Spider said,"If you do not let them. You are a brave boy,"

She kissed him on the head and started to back up into the pipe to get some sleep as well.

"Now to have had a very "tired-making" day," she said.

Then she blew out the candle sitting by the web and fell asleep. James yawned and looked up at the hole at the top of the peach. He then shut his eyes and awaited for the new day.

Butterfly, who was asleep on a giant glove near the ladder that leads to the outside of the peach opened up one of her blue eyes and lets out a yawn. She shook her head and mused. "I can't sleep. Should I just.. go outside for a little bit?"

She stood up, stretching her arms and wings and stared at the ladder that was to her right. She stood in front of it and stared at it for about three seconds. She then started to climb up quickly with her four arms and two legs. As soon as she made it to the top, she felt the slightly cold wind flow against her blond hair that brushed on her pale cheeks. She inhaled and exhaled. "How relaxing."

She looked the dark sky and the half moon and started to trembled slightly. "Have to get rid of this fear.."

In the meanwhile, Centipede, who was half asleep on the stream heard the soft spoken voice and opened up his eyes. He looked around and spotted Butterfly standing near the boarder of the peach and walked towards her. "Butterfly? What are ya doin' here?"

Since Butterfly was back turned and didn't sense Centipede near her, she jumped slightly and turned out. She sighed as she saw Centipede. "Hey Centipede."

Centipede tilted his head slightly. "Why aren't ya sleeping?"

"Just feeling.. nervous." Butterfly confessed. "What if the people of New York don't like us when we make it? After all, we are giant bugs.."

"Give it a chance." Centipede walked to her side. "Why are ya scared about this?"

Butterfly stared at Centipede with a blank expression in her crystal blue eyes. She had a bit of a choked up throat. She took a deep breathe. "I was never close to my parents and sisters before Spiker and Sponge killed them. I never had much of a family... at all. What if it's the same when we make it to New York?"

"You will got us." Centipede gave the monarch butterfly a smirk.

"What are you talking about?" Butterfly snapped. "I thought you hated me."

"Are ya kidding? I thought you hated me."

Butterfly touched one of her hands and squeezed on her deep royal purple gloves and bit her lips. "No... I don't... in fact, I don't hate anyone in this peach. You guys are better than my blood related family ever were and I've only known you guys for one day."

Centipede puffed smoke from his cigar and then focused on the female insect again. "I don't have a family myself either. I know the feelin'."

Butterfly's eyes widened a bit. "Really?"

"Yeah. It's not just you and Jimmy. We all had our own problems and this journey is our destiny."

"True. I'll have to learn to stop being so negative." Butterfly let out a small giggle. "Mmm hmm. Destiny... just as you and Miss Spider are."

Centipede's eyes widened and face turned slightly red. "Excuse me?"

"Centipede, you made it too obvious with all the times you teased and flirted with her. You got a crush."

Centipede growled at her. "If you tell anyone about this, I'm gonna-"

"I won't tell." Butterfly said. "I know you and I may have our disagreements, but I wouldn't do something like this. There's a limit to everything."

"Oh..." Centipede muttered sheepishly. "Well now this is the first time I tell anyone this but Spidey's pretty awesome.."

"Indeed." Butterfly let out a small yawn. "Anyway Centipede, I have to go sleep."

"Alright. I'll just go back to steerin' the peach."

Centipede made his way back from the boarder to the stem of the peach while Butterfly jumped into the pit. As Butterfly laid on the giant glove, she smiled. "You're not so bad after all Centipede. I guess I can learn to trust after all."


	7. A plan to escape the Artic

During the night, James had a dream that he was a green caterpillar with black and white stripes on his body as well as green. There were a few orange spots on his back, he had rosy red cheeks and red antennas. He suddenly heard a sound that caused him to look up and he gasped at the sight before him. There was a wrecked up black and gray car and there inside it were Spiker and Sponge.

"Look! The little maggot is stuffing his face with out peach!" Spiker snarled and turned to her sister. "Get him Sponge!"

"AHHH!" James screamed and hid behind the peach.

"You can't crawl away from us!" Sponge said, letting out smoke that followed James, along with lightning shooting.

James ran with full speed on the rocky walls yet the smoke was getting closer to him. He then jumped on a tree's branch and kept running with all the energy he had. As he ran, he heard the sound of each of his aunts talking. Once James got on the ground, he kept running. The smoke was going after him! He passed through a broken can and hid in a hole near by. There was a dead end and the smoke was headed his direction. There it revealed that the smoke was no other than the rhino who killed his parents! James let out a scream and the dream ended from there.

James opened up his brown eyes and gasped. He shivered. Was it cold wind? Indeed it was. He decided to go find out why was it abnromally cold so he climed up from the ladder and as he made it to the top of the peach, he stared at the scene before him with complete awe. The top of the peach was covered in snow and ice, the seagulls' wings were frozen stiff and there were sunken ships, glaciers and ice crystals all around them. There was a chill in the air that sent a shiver down James' spines. His teeth chattered.

Suddenly he heard yelling. He looked down and saw the bugs at the boarder of the peach yelling. Everyone was pointing fingers at Centipede. Why Centipede? What was going on? James walked off to find out.

Centipede was backing away as Mr. Grasshopper, Mrs. Ladybug, Earthworm and Butterfly were walking towards him.

"This is an outrage!" Mr. Grasshopper yelled with disbelief. "You are a disgrace to your phylum, class, order, genus and species!"

"Say it in English!" Centipede yelled.

Mr. Grasshopper yelled back without hesitation. "You, sir, are an ass!"

"Where are we? What's going on?" James asked as he shivered.

"I found this dime-store Timmy asleep at the helm! Now we are lost!" Mr. Grasshopper yelled as he pointed his fingers at Centipede.

"We are not lost!" Centipede protested.

"Then where are we?"

"Somewhere North," Centipede mused, "Or possibly very,very far South...,"

Mr. Grasshopper wanted to do something to Centipede. Anything. Slap him, kick him, call him more words. But no. There was something more important. Questions had to be answered.

"What's your latitude? What's your longitude?" Mr. Grasshopper asked.

Centipede felt speechless and threw up his arms, "Hey! Hey! Hey! That's personal, bub,"

The four bugs in front of Centipede started walking towards Centipede, which caused him to back away at the same time.

"You said you could navigate!" Mr. Grasshopper yelled as he walked towards Centipede.

"You said you've traveled the world," Mrs. Ladybug said.

"You said you'd been to Bora Bora," Earthworm added.

"Was it all a lie?" Butterfly asked pitifully.

"Well not Bora Bora per say,uh...," Centipede said with embarrassment, but then interrupted by Miss Spider coming up behind him from the top of the peach.

"What about the shores of Tripoli?"

"Did I say "Tripoli"?" Centipede laughed, "I meant the Halls of Montezuma,"

"That's what you said!" Earthworm said offensively.

"Never have I heard such mendacity!" Mr. Grasshopper said with a dead glare.

"You liar!" Miss Spider hissed.

"Charlatan!" Mrs. Ladybug berated.

"You're a deceiver!" Butterfly yelled sharply.

"Wait!" James yelled, which stopped the others from yelling. "If he says he's seen the world, then he's seen the world. Right Mr. Centipede?"

Centipede looked up at James with a frown.

"Right?" James repeated.

"Well...I did use to live between two pages of the National Geographic," he answered.

Everyone dropped their jaws. This whole time everything he told them was a lie?

"Huh?" James' eyes went wide and jaw dropped.

"Very informative magazine, National Geographic. Wonderful pictures," Centipede smiled sheepishly.

No one returned a smile to him. They either gave me a hopeless frown and furious glare.

"You...incompetent, blithering nitwit!" Mr. Grasshopper yelled as he stepped towards Centipede.

Centipede glared back at the tall insect. He took out his cigar out of his mouth and threw it to the ground.

"Alright hoppy! Them's fightin' words!"Centipede yelled turning his hat around and holding up every single one of his fists, "Put 'em up! Put 'em up! Come on! Give me your best shot!"

Mr. Grasshopper didn't say a single work and kicked Centipede in the face without hesitant. Centipede fell to the ground on his back with his hat on the ground and sat up when he felt pain in his jaw. He started to rub the target Mr. Grasshopper chose to kick.

"Whoa. Good shot..," Centipede groaned.

Centipede then spit and a tooth fell in his hand. He's eyes widened as he stared at it. He looked at the others and held the tooth out for all to see.

"Did you see what he did to me?!"

Everyone still glared at him.

"Hmph. Serves ya right!"Mrs. Ladybug said.

Mr. Grasshopper, Earthworm, and Mrs. Ladybug turned away from him. and started to walk off. Butterfly remained and stared with a blank face expression.

"Butterfly." Centipede looked at the winged bug. "I-"

"You're a liar!" she yelled. "I thought you were my friend. I thought you were unselfish. I... I guess I was wrong."

Butterfly turned her back away from him and walked away and put one of her right arms on her chest with her eyes squeezed shut. Just when she was able to make a friend, who would've been a brother-like figure, she learned he deceived everyone in the peach. Deceived even the one he was falling head over heels for, Miss Spider. Multiple thoughts kept running through Butterfly's mind. "Why would anyone have the heart to do something like that? Why do I have to stay positive now? Why do I have to trust? Why do I have to stop being afraid? Why do I want to have friends?"

Centipede sat on the boardwalk he was on after everyone walked off and started grumbling to himself.

In the meantime, James had his focus on the rest of the bugs. "What do we do now? Which way do we go?"

Mr. Grasshopper looked up at him and responded, "Oh, it's simple really. All we need to do is determine our coordinates, then use triangulation to chart a direct route to New York,"

"Then there's hope!" Earthworm said enthusiastically.

"Don't be ridiculous!" Mr. Grasshopper said as he poked him on the nose, "There's no hope at all! We don't have a compass,"

"We'll never reach New York! We're going to be stuck here forever! We're going to be frozen like living statues!" Earthworm whined.

"Dead living statues!" Mr. Grasshopper corrected.

Butterfly turned to the two bugs. "I couldn't agree with you more..."

Centipede overhead them and started feeling a sharp pain in his chest. Was it guilt? The bugs continued to speak.

"No dark hiding places...," Miss Spider said.

"No cozy leaf in the park...," Mrs. Ladybug included.

"No appreciation to receive...," Butterfly said.

"No city where dreams come true...," James said.

Every single one of the words caused pain in his heart more and more. Centipede sat back down and put two of his hands on his face and was close enough to cry. Because of him, they were all going to die and not make it anywhere.

"Those ships have compasses," James asked as he pointed out to the ships.

"No doubt. But to brave those icy waters would mean certain death. Only a fool would do it," Mr. Grasshopper responded.

Centipede gulped at first but then turned to the icy waters and mused for a few seconds then he put his hat, grinned and jumped into the icy waters. "GERONIMO!"

As soon as a splash was able to be heard, everyone except for Miss Spider ran to see what happened.

"What? What? What was that?" Earthworm asked frantically.

James pointed at the ripple in the water,"The Centipede jumped in!"

"He did what?!" Butterfly exclaimed and thought to herself. "What kind of idiot would do that?!"

"Good heavens! He's committed pesticide! "Mr. Grasshopper gasped. He couldn't believe what was happening. "Oh,this is all my doing..,"

"Don't take all the credit," Earthworm turned to him, "I helped too!"

"I have to go after him!" James said as he stared at the icy waters.

"Not on your life!" Mrs. Ladybug swiftly turned to him. "You'll capture death of cold."

"But he's my friend,"

"James is right," everyone turned and it was Miss Spider, "Centipede is one of us. Get on my back. I am going with you,"

As James got on Miss Spider's back, Butterfly grabbed Miss Spider's arm.

"You guys are not going there..," she said. Everyone stared at her until she had a response. "Without me."

Miss Spider nodded in agreement.

"You two better take good care of him," Mrs. Ladybug said.

"This we can promise," Miss Spider responded.

"Trust us," Butterfly said.

Butterfly stood by their side while Miss Spider got her string and gave it to Mr. Grasshopper and the others.

"Stay by the line," James said, "And when you feel two tugs pull us up,"

After everyone grabbed the string, Miss Spider jumped off the peach with James on her back and Butterfly followed along by jumping with them. Once in the water, the three went past the wreckage of ships to search for Centipede.


	8. A compass and a kiss

Centipede swam to the bottom of the freezing water until he reached a pirate ship. He whistled as he looked around the ship to find what he was looking for. He kicked a door that led into the Captain's quarters down and looked around. The one thing he noticed was a skeleton with a black pirate's hat sitting at the desk in the room.

"A skellington?" Centipede said as he tip-toed over to the desk. He noticed he was holding something. He took his cigar out and blew away the dust. There on the desk in the captain's hands was a compass.

"JACKPOT!" Centipede yelled, "A genuine compass!"

Centipede put his cigar back in his mouth and lifted the arm of the skeleton that was holding the compass. It creaked alittle.

"Sounds like you need a little oil captain," Centipede said as he took the compass away from the skeleton, "Thank you sir! I'll be shoving off now,"

Centipede begin to head to the door with glee but there was one problem. He was walking in place. He looked behind and noticed his sespenders were wrapped around the hand of the skeleton. The skeleton looked up at him and growled. Centipede quickly tried to escape.

"AHH! I SHOULD'VE WORN A BELT!" Centipede yelled.

He turned away and tried to head towards the door with all the strength he had, but suddenly more pirates appeared right in front of him.

"Holy...SHIPWRECK!"! Centipede yelled as he flew back to the captain.

The captain grabbed Centipede and the compass and laughed evilly. Centipede trembled as a thought came in mind, he was not going back to the peach.

* * *

In the meantime, James, Miss Spider and Butterfly swam to the bottom of the freezing water to the pirate ship. Miss Spider tied her string to the pole connected to the crow's nest, gaining a bit of Butterfly's assistance. James looked down at the deck, and seconds later Miss Spider and Butterfly did the same. They gasped at the sight before them. Centipede was tied to two wheels that the pirates were turning. He was being stretched out, which caused him to scream. The compass was lying on his chest and the captain of the pirates took it off his chest.

"Listen fellas. I got a long history of back problems and I don't need it to get any longer!" Centipede screamed again as the pirates turned the wheels to stretch him out again. A loud crank could be heard as they turned the wheels.

"Hey, that one felt pretty good," Centipede laughed.

Suddenly there was a huge viking skeleton coming out of the shadows with a giant ax. Centipede looked up at the skeleton.

"It's Paul Bunyan!" Centipede laughed, "Coming to cut me some slack,"

The viking skeleton held up the ax and held it close to Centipede's stomach.

"Whoa! Hey pal! Your aiming a little low," Centipede joked, but stopped immediately and yelled, "HE'S GOING TO CUT ME IN HALF!"

James couldn't take more of this and swiftly jumped off the deck. Miss Spider and Butterfly eyes widened and jaws dropped as they watched what happened. James kicked the viking skeleton, which caused him to fall off the ship. The rest of the pirates stood dumb-founded of what just happened. Miss Spider and Butterfly then jumped down from the crow's nest.

"Hey sailors!" Miss Spider yelled.

"The ladies are here as well!" Butterfly announced.

The pirates looked up at the two girls with awe.

"Looking for some kicks?" Miss Spider asked as she and Butterfly both kicked two of the pirates holding one of the wheels at the same time. One flew into another pirate. Both of the wheels unwinded themselves and Centipede was stretched back to normal, but he fell into the cargo hold.

"Cut me loose!" he yelled from inside.

James' attention was on the ax and quickly ran over to get it. As he lifted the ax, he tugged too hard and it hit the pirate behind him. The captain's head flew off and he dropped both his sword and the compass. The compass started to roll toward the edge of the ship. In the meantime, Centipede started to rise out of the cargo hold thanks to the headless pirate captain.

"GET THE COMPASS!" Centipede yelled.

James, Miss Spider and Butterfly looked up and had their attention to Centipede for one second, then Miss Spider ran after the compass while James and Butterfly tried to get Centipede down. She grabbed the compass before it fell off the edge.

"I've got it!" she yelled to the others.

Butterfly turned to smile at her until she saw another skeleton appear.

"Ubutu!" he yelled as he was getting towards Miss Spider.

"Miss Spider! Look out!" Butterfly exclaimed as she ran to Miss Spider's direction.

Miss Spider then turned to the skeleton right when he was running to her with a blade in his hand.

Miss Spider dodged the blade, but he kicked her in mid air. She started to turn around and around and it looked like she wasn't going to stop. She was flying straight to the direction where Butterfly was headed. "BUTTERFLY! LOOK OUT!"

Before Butterfly was able to make a single move, Miss Spider crashed into her and that caused the two to spin around and crashed into the pirate skeleton who just put his head back on. The crash was so hard, the skeleton's head flew off once again. His head knocked the compass out of the other pirates' hands and flew until James caught it. "Gotcha!"

Suddenly, the parrot that has been sitting on the captain's shoulders flew over to James and took the compass from him. Before it got away, Centipede swung down to the parrot with a rope and took the compass from the parrot.

"Polly want a SMACKER!" he yelled while he smacked the parrot into the wall.

Centipede swung to the top of the crow's nest, looking around to see where the other three were at. He quickly noticed the other skeleton with the ax that headed their ways.

"Look out!" he warned the three.

Miss Spider and Butterfly dodged it, both pushing James out of the way of the blade's way. Miss Spider kicked him, which knocked his head off while Butterfly shielded James.

* * *

In the meantime, Mr. Grasshopper, Mrs. Ladybug and Earthworm heard from outside the peach that the others yell.

"Sounds like big trouble!" Earthworm exclaimed.

"Get ready to pull!" Mr. Grasshopper commanded.

The three bugs grabbed on the string, hoping to fell a tug from the others.

* * *

In the cold waters, Miss Spider, James and Butterfly climbed up the crow's nest with as much energy as they had. Centipede waited for the three to get up in the meantime. He pulled James and Butterfly up and he blushed sheepishly when he helped Miss Spider up.

"I got a good one for ya," Centipede said while tying the string back onto Miss Spider, "Why don't skeletons play music in church?"

The skeletons climbed up hastily, not giving Centipede a single answer to his question.

"Because they got NO ORGANS!" Centipede laughed when he tugged twice on the string.

The pirate captain jumped with his sword aiming for them and was able to catch up. Centipede looked down and saw the sword was about to stab Miss Spider. He quickly slammed his pinchers on the blade of the sword and flew off of Miss Spider's back. The three watched with awe watched as Centipede fell back onto the crow's nest and started to fight the pirates.

"NO!" James, Miss Spider and Butterfly screamed.

The last thing they saw was Centipede being ganged up on by the pirates. As they broke through the surface of the water, Mr. Grasshopper, Mrs. Ladybug and Earthworm pulled them up out of the freezing water.

"Oh thank goodness!" Mrs. Ladybug gasped, "You're alright!"

"We are," Butterfly said as she gasped for air.

"What happened to Centipede?" Mr. Grasshopper asked.

Miss Spider held up the compass, "He found a compass for us,"

"And a ship load of pirates!" James added.

Everyone else gasped.

"How much?" Earthworm asked.

"TONS!" Butterfly exclaimed.

Miss Spider shoved the compass into Earthworm's mouth, "Hold this. I am going back!" She then rapidly jumped back to the ice.

"You be careful, Miss Spider!" Mr. Grasshopper warned her.

She was able to jump in but stopped as she watched the water started to bubble. She gasped as she saw what came out. Centipede's hat. Miss Spider picked up the hat. She could feel tears rolling down her cheeks as she showed the hat to the rest of the group.

"Poor Centipede...," Mr. Grasshopper said as he covered his face with his hands, trying to hold back his tears.

"He saved our lives down there," James sighed, with Mrs. Ladybug putting a hand on his shoulder.

"This wasn't supposed to happen...," Butterfly said, starting to feel tears rolling down her cheeks. Thoughts ran through her mind rapidly. "Before he jumped in... I said such cruel things to him. I didn't want to trust anymore. Now look at what has happened..."

Miss Spider stared at the hat as tears kept rolling down her cheeks. She held the close to her. It was her last reminder of her rescuer. The last of.. the love of her life.

Suddenly, water started to bubble again. A hat and sword appeared out of the water. Was it... a pirate? Everyone gasped.

"Look out!" Mrs. Ladybug yelled, "Miss Spider!"

"Run!" Butterfly exclaimed.

Miss Spider gasped at what she saw. She was about to run for it, but suddenly smirked at who it was that she saw. Centipede has risen from the water wearing the pirate gear. Everyone's faces broke into smiles as they looked at him.

"Centipede!" James yelled.

"How am I lookin', kid?" Centipede asked.

Miss Spider stared face to face with Centipede, glaring into his eyes. She took his hand that had the sword in it.

"Centipede! I do not know whether to kill you!" Centipede felt the sword against his throat as she shoved it close to him and he closed his eyes. Was it the end, or...

"Or...," Miss Spider stared at him no longer with a glare.

Centipede could feel her soft cold lips against his cheek. Was that a kiss? It most certainly was one. He face flushed a bright red that made him resemble a tomato. The kiss stole his heart. He had no crush on her anymore. It was much more than that. He fell in love. And it seemed she fell in love with him too.

"Kiss you," Miss Spider smiled.

Centipede smiled and Miss Spider stared into his eyes once again, and her cheeks started to flush slightly. "And by the way commodore, that pirate hat looks good on you."

Centipede remained speechless, yet he blushed brighter and couldn't stop smiling.

Butterfly smiled at the sight of the two bugs and her crystal blue eyes gleamed. "Now that's the centipede that I know,"

Mr. Grasshopper then started to pull Miss Spider and Centipede back up to the peach as James took the compass from Earthworm and walked up to the top of the peach to where the stem was at.

Centipede and Mr. Grasshopper started to apologize to each other sheepishly.

"Hey, I'm sorry." Centipede started

"My sincere apologies" Mr. Grasshopper said.

"I just wanna apologize,"

"I just wanted to say-"

"All I'm trying to say is-"

Earthworm then jumped into the conversation, wearing the pirate hat. "That's enough chit-chat! I'm freezing!"

"Hello? The compass is ready!" James said from the top of the peach.

"Mr. Centipede?" Mr. Grasshopper turned to look at him, "Would you please do us the honor of navigating us out of this icebox?"

"It would be my pleasure," Centipede responded.

As they walked off, Mrs. Ladybug grabbed some blankets and put them over Butterfly and Miss Spider.

"I admire your bravery, Miss Spider and Butterfly," she said as she threw the blankets over both of them," I really do,"

"Why..thank you Mrs. Ladybug," Miss Spider said softly.

Butterfly placed a hand on her chest, smiling brightly. "I appreciate how you admire us like this."

Back at the top, the others got the seagulls to fly again.

"All right, boys. Coffee break's over," Centipede said as he pulled the strings, which caused the ice to get off of the seagulls.

"I'm looking forward to a hopping good time in the big apple, Mr. Centipede," Mr. Grasshopper smiled with delight.

"You said it, Mr. Grasshopper," Centipede responded.

The peach soared up and from there, everyone was ready to head to New York.

* * *

Just so you guys know, the part of the kiss where Miss Spider complimented on how Centipede looked in his hat was inspired by a dream I had a long time ago where that happened. I decided to add it into the story because I ended up thinking, "That would be SO awesome if that happened."


	9. An unbelievable sight

During the night, Centipede stayed outside to steer the stem. He kept yawning in exhaustion.

"Oh boy,what I wouldn't do for a cup of coffee,"

He shook his head and slap himself to stay awake, "Cup of joe,"

Mr. Grasshopper came out of the peach with a blanket and a chair made from a cardboard standie. "I say, old sport, came to relieve you of your duties,"

"I said I'd steer the peach," Centipede yawned, "Have to steer the peach.."

Mr. Grasshopper set the chair down and helped Centipede into the chair as he continued to yawn.

"Can't quit...now,"

"Good show, old boy," Mr. Grasshopper said throwing the blanket over Centipede.

"Thanks.. Mr. Grasshopper,"

Centipede immediately fell asleep. At the same time, Mr. Grasshopper got out his violin and started to play gentle music to it.

In the meantime, James remained on the boardwalk looking at his travel book. We're getting to New York soon, he thought.

A sound caught his attention. It was the sound of violin music. What was it about the violin music that seemed so familiar? James pondered for a moment and then walked up to the peach where he found Mr. Grasshopper playing the soft music while Centipede remained asleep.

"That music!" James said.

Mr. Grasshopper sprang slightly, but then sighed in relief as he noticed it was non other than James. "Oh sir James! Did...did I disturb you? So sorry.I'll...I'll put this away,"

"No no. I like it! I used to hear it at my aunt's house before I went to sleep,"

"You're pretty smart, young James,"

James gasped. "So that was you, wasn't it? Playing that music or do all grasshoppers play music?"

"All grasshoppers...try," Mr. Grasshopper responded to the young boy, "I'm sure you've heard this,"

Mr. Grasshopper rubbed his legs together and made the sound of crickets chirping. James nodded as he heard the familiar sound.

"Ghastly, isn't it? Cricket stuff," Mr. Grasshopper said, "Music should be the voice of the soul,"

"What does that mean?"

"It means that when I'm happy, my music sounds like this," Mr. Grasshopper started to play his violin cheerfully, making James smile,

"When I'm sad, it's like this..."

He started to play a slow tune on his violin. James' expression quickly turned from a smile into a frown.

"When I was sad, I used to climb in bed with my mom and dad," James teared up a bit, then whipped it away, "But that was a long time ago,"

Mr. Grasshopper placed a hand on his shoulder, "I'm sure they'd be very proud of you James. I know we are," he then jumped on the stem and started to play his violin in an upbeat tone where inside the peach Miss Spider, Mrs. Ladybug, Butterfly, Earthworm and Glowworm all have awoken.

"Take a little time. Just look at where we are," Mr. Grasshopper started to sing, "We've come very,very far together,"

The sound of him singing awoken Centipede.

"And if I might say so,"

"And if I might say so too," Centipede joined in.

The two then sang together. "We wouldn't have got anywhere if it weren't for you boy,"

James pointed to himself.

Mrs. Ladybug then came up. "Love is the sweetest thing,"

Earthworm came up after her. "Love never comes just when you think it will,"

Butterfly then came from behind. "Love is a special feeling,"

The last one up was Miss Spider.

"Love is the way we feel for you,"

"We're family. We're family."

Everyone then joined in, "We're family!"

"All of us,"

"And you," Mr. Grasshopper added.

"Think of where we'd be if we were on our own," Centipede sang upside down on the peach stem.

"We'd be dead!" Earthworm responded.

"You're what holds us all together," Mrs. Ladybug sang.

"I am?" James asked.

"Why of course," Butterfly turned to James.

"And if I might say so," Centipede sang.

"And if we might say so too," Mr. Grasshopper and Mrs. Ladybug sang together.

"We never could love anyone as much as...,"

"We love you!" everyone then hugged James.

Glowworm came out to join in, "Love...!"

"Is the strangest thing," Centipede and Miss Spider sang.

"LOVE...!"

"Does exactly what it wants to do," Mr. Grasshopper and Mrs. Ladybug sang.

"LOVE...!"Glowworm sang once more as Centipede and Mr. Grasshopper helped her out of the peach.

"Boy, ya know it's true," Centipede said.

"We're family! We're family! We're family!"

"Me and you," everyone pointed toward James.

"Ashes to ashes and dust to dust," Miss Spider sang.

"Without you, there be no us."

"Love is the sweetest thing. Love does exactly what it wants to do. Love is the way we feel for you. We're family! We're family!"

"We're family!" James sang, "Me,"

"And," everyone sang together while helping James down,"You!"

Centipede grabbed Miss Spider's hand and they started to slow dance as the violin music was still being played and as it ended, Centipede removed his hat and kissed Miss Spider's hand. Butterfly couldn't help it but smile at the sight.

"We'll always be together, won't we?" James asked his friends.

Centipede placed his hat on James's head, "Kid, your stuck with us for life."

Suddenly, everyone on top of the peach heard a low rumble. They looked over the peach and gasped at the sight before them. The bright lights that seemed familiar. Was it New York? James pondered. Indeed it was!

"Look everybody!" James' brown eyes were lighten up,"We made it!"

"We did?" Centipede asked.

"New York City," Miss Spider gasped as her golden eyes lite up.

"Breathtaking," Mr. Grasshopper smiled.

"Divine!" Butterfly sighed pleasingly.

"Glorious!" Mrs. Ladybug couldn't keep her eyes off of the sight.

"Look at the park!" James pointed.

"It's fabulous!" Centipede said.

"We have made it!" Miss Spider hugged Mrs. Ladybug and Butterfly, and the three girls cried tears of happiness.

"What a wonderful sight!" Mrs. Ladybug said through tears.

"It's just so gorgeous...," Butterfly whipped away tears from her cheeks.

Glowworm pointed to the tall statue of a lady with a torch, "There's Lady Liberty!"

Earthworm sniffed the air and couldn't stop smiling, "I can almost smell the lovely dirt,"

"Is it not beautiful?" Miss Spider said wiping tears away from her eyes.

James' gasped as his eyes caught the Empire State Building. He didn't imagine it to be this tall!

"The Empire State Building!" James pointed out.

"SEE THOSE LIGHTS!" he jumped, then grabbed Mr. Grasshopper by the arm and turned him around.

Miss Spider and the others started to chuckle as they watched the upbeat centipede.

"WA-HOO! YIPEE! Atta boy, Jimmy!" Centipede praised James.

"Good show James!"Mr. Grasshopper said." The city awaits us!"

Miss Spider came over to James, took Centipede's hat off of James's head and gave it back to Centipede.

"Now remember James,"s he said fixing his tie and shirt, "First impression is very important,"

Suddenly the wind started to pick up and storm clouds appeared. James ran to the stem to steer the peach so it could away from the wind and the others tried to fight the wind and get to James. As he was moving the stem, the wind blew the compass off of the stem due to the strong force it had.

"Oh no!" James exclaimed as he tried to catch it, but it was too late.

Mr. Grasshopper gasped as the wind grew stronger, "We'll be blown off course!"

"We'll wind up in JERSEY!" Centipede exclaimed.

Butterfly grabbed on to her purple beret as tightly as we could. "We won't make it to the city with this wind!"

Lighting caught everyone's attention. The huge storm cloud that was heading towards them let out a growl. There was a figure coming out of the clouds with bright yellow eyes. James couldn't believe his eyes. Was it what he thought it was?

"Could it be?" Mr. Grasshopper stared at the figure with disbelief.

Centipede gasped at the sight before him, "It couldn't be...,"

Butterfly couldn't keep her blue eyes off the figure. "Is it really what we think it is?"

The dark figure let out a huge roar.

"It's the rhino!" James yelled.

The lighting cracked, causing everyone to become tremulous.

"Oh James!" Mrs. Ladybug exclaimed, "Do something!"

"We believe in you James!" Butterfly turned to the boy.

The rhino started to fly towards the peach. James felt like he had no choice but to come face to face with the biggest fear of his life.

"Everyone climb up into the rigging!" James screamed, "Hurry!"

Everyone swiftly climbed up and grabbed on to the strings as hard as they possibly could. The bugs gasped as they noticed James didn't climb up with them.

"James!" Miss Spider yelled out to him, "Are you not coming with us?"

James yelled as he looked up to her, "No!"

He ran off ran to the boardwalk and stood motionless as the rhino headed closer.

"What is he going to do?" Butterfly pondered tremulously. "Is he doing what I think he's doing?"

"It got my mom and dad!" James yelled, "It won't get my friends!"

He stared face to face with the beast and yelled like there was no tomorrow. "Come out and show your face, you stupid beast!"

The rhino roared louder as it came out of the storm clouds. It was a dark figure with eyes that were glowing a bright yellow color. Everyone stared at the beast in awe as they watched lighting flashing from it's horn.

"Good God Almighty!" Mr. Grasshopper gasped as he stared at the sight in awe.

The beast headed closer to the peach to kill everyone like it killed James' parents.

"Remember what you parents said James!" James looked up and noticed it was Earthworm speaking, "Try looking at it another way!"

James thought about what to say and then turned back to the rhino, glaring at it.

"You're not even a real rhino!" he exclaimed as the rhino growled at him, "You're just a lot of smoke and noise!"

The rhino growled as it heard the boy and headed even closer.

James yelled what he has been wanting to say all his life. "I'm not afraid of you!"

Outraged at those words, the rhino then came charging out of the clouds.

"I'm not afraid of YOU!" James repeated clearly.

The rhino heard enough. It shot some lighting out of it's horn and it hit the boardwalk James was on. It cut the strings off the stem that was holding on to the bugs. It caused them to fly away with the seagulls attached to the string. They gasped as they watched James. their family member, fall down to the clouds below and into the city.

"JAMES!"

James screamed as the peach was falling from the sky. "NO!"

The peach landed on something. What could it be? Where were James' friends? Was James alive, or perhaps dead?


	10. James' biggest life change

The bugs gaped as they looked down at the city, where James has just fell along with the giant peach. Did he survive, or was he dead? He couldn't be dead! He just couldn't! The bugs still hung on the spider string that was still tied up to the seagulls. Should they go down to the city? No.. what was the point of going there if they were without James?

"I... I cannot believe he's gone..." Miss Spider's golden eyes welled up with tears.

"Where should we go now?" Butterfly turned to everyone, her eyes welled up as well. "Without James.. there'd be no us. And now look.."

"I don't know." Centipede inhaled and exhaled, holding back the tears. "I guess... I guess we'll have to go where the wind takes us.."

Mr. Grasshopper shook his head in disapproval. "James wouldn't want that."

"If he's gone, then what's the point of going to the city? Heck if we live there, all we'll do it have memories of what happened to him!"

"I.. I don't know.." Mr. Grasshopper sighed.

Mrs. Ladybug wrapped her arms around her body, trembling. "I just can't believe this happened. If it weren't for the rhino... if it weren't for it... I just can't believe what happened to the poor dearie!"

"And just imagine how scary it'll be getting to the city!" Earthworm exclaimed. "Everyone will be scared of us, try to kill us! Not believe us if we told 'em about James!"

Even Glowworm, who was not hearing half the conversation, sighed with distress.

Butterfly stared at the bright lights of the city. She couldn't keep her eyes off of the flashing red that was down below where James pointed out was the Empire State building earlier. Something was obviously going on down there.

"We must go!"

"Enough Butterfly." Centipede said blankly. "Lets not do anything hasty."

"Hasty if practically your middle name, Centipede." Butterfly responded with a raised eyebrow.

"Not at a time like this."

"Listen you guys.." Butterfly spoke tremulously as all eyes were on her. "I see red lights and they give me the feeling something is wrong. Those flashing lights reminds me of police; as I have seen before along with my parents and sisters before they were..." she inhaled and exhaled. "Never mind about them. Point is we must go."

"What if it is just normal, Butterfly?" Miss Spider asked. "What if lights like those are supposed to be in the city, and do not mean any trouble. What if we go there just for nothing and horrify everyone because we are not normal bugs? The what?"

Butterfly sighed. "You're right.. I was just being stupid..."

"You give up too easily, Butterfly." Butterfly turned around and noticed Centipede was now speaking.

"I think givin' it a look won't hurt." Centipede explained. "I mean, if we don't go to the city, that'll just mean we'll wind up somewhere else, like Jersey. What difference will it make? I say we at least go to give it a chance."

Butterfly smiled slightly. "Sounds good."

"It won't hurt, right dearie?" Mrs. Ladybug winked.

The rest of the bugs nodded in agreement.

"Let us see what is going on, and if the red lights are a sign of danger." Miss Spider said. "Chances are, that is correct."

The bugs started to sway down to get to the city. They gasped at the sight before them. 'Bright lights, big city', as Centipede has said before. The colors of the flashing lights, white and golden yellow, were lite up. What a city it was indeed. Where dreams come true. The one dream that needed to come true for the bugs now was having James in their life.

As they headed closer to the ground, they gasped at what they heard.

"How dare you speak to us this way!" a familiar voice said.

"Was that...?" Butterfly turned to the rest.

"Correct." Miss Spider hissed. "Spiker... Spiker and Sponge are here... they must be mistreating James..."

Mr. Grasshopper whispered to the others. "We will end this once and for all."

As the bugs were able to see what happened, they gaped. There was James on top of a firetruck. He was alive! But the bugs could tell something was wrong. James' aunts, Spiker and Sponge, each held an axe and smashed the firetruck with them. The crowd gasped at the sight before them, and the firefighters were getting them as far away from them as possible. But then...

"James!" a voice yelled out of nowhere. "Up here!"

As everyone looked up, they gasped. Who was up at the sky? Exactly, what was up at the sky? A green light shined in the sky as they heard the voices.

"Hello, we're here!"

"Coming to the rescue!"

"Hey, buddy!"

Spiker and Sponge stared in awe at the sky, trying to discover whose voices were they.

"What are they?" Aunt Spiker asked.

James was the only one familiar with the voices, and his eyes lite up as he saw who they were. Up in the sky were his friends, and they were holding onto Miss Spider's strings that had the seagulls still attached to it.

"Young James!" Glowworm cried.

"Hey Jimmy!"

"Bugs!" Aunt Spiker exclaimed in horror.

"Need a little help down there?" Centipede announced.

The crowd stared at the sky in awe as they saw the giant bugs in the sky.

"Giant bugs!" Aunt Sponge screamed.

"Hey, you old biddies!" Centipede teased.

"Help us!" the aunts screamed as they grabbed on to each other tightly.

Mrs. Ladybug waved at James. "Whoo-ee! Here we are, dear!"

"Hello, James!" Earthworm turned his attention to James.

"I told you they were real!" James said.

The crowd had no choice but to believe now that they were seeing the bugs with their own eyes.

"Hello, old boy!" Mr. Grasshopper yelled.

"We're so happy to see you!" Butterfly smiled.

"Requesting clearance to land." Miss Spider said.

The bugs then landed on the peach firmly. Afterwards they let go of the strings and the seagulls flew away from them. The crowd still stared at the bugs in awe and the aunts were staring at them tremulously.

"Miss Spider, throw me a string!" James turned to the family member.

Miss Spider got a bit of her string and tossed it to James, who caught it immediately. James smiled as he thought of his plan. He swiftly threw it on the aunts, tied them up with it, which caused them to scream in horror.

"Ok, pull them up!" James announced to the bugs.

The bugs all nodded in agreement, held onto the string and pulled on; capably pulling their aunts up to where they were at.

"Help!" Aunt Sponge exclaimed. "Where are we going?"

Just as planned, they were right in front of the bugs. Just like when James was face to face with the rhino before, the bugs were now face to face with Spiker and Sponge.

James had the plan in mind and yelled out to the bugs. "Spin them around!"

Being the closest, Mr. Grasshopper leaned down a little and kicked the aunts, which caused them to spring around rapidly.

"Wrap them tightly!"

Miss Spider threw the string and wrapped it to where the aunts couldn't budge. The spinning was so powerful, it caused the aunts' wigs fall off. Indeed what everyone thought was hair at first were merely wigs. Revealing their bald heads caused Butterfly to start laughing. "Hey Spiker, Sponge! That's what you get for trying to kill me days back!"

"Tighter! Tighter!" James yelled as the bugs followed orders.

As the screaming aunts were finally wrapped up tightly.

Well I'll be a... the kid was telling the truth." an officer said.

The chief watched the screaming aunts with disgust. "Get those two creeps outta here!"

The crane took drove off with the aunts still tied up and screaming.

James then climbed down the ladder as he noticed the cheering crowd.

Everywhere around, there were reports on phone booths announcing all over what has happened. "Stop the presses, I got a new front page! 'Big Bugs in the Big Apple'!"

"In big bold print, 'Little Lindies Fly Giant Peach'."

"'Half-Pint Heroes and Their Peach Pit Pals'."

James smiled at the crowd and knew what he had to do, "Everyone! These are our friends! The ones we've been telling you about. Mr. Centipede!"

Centipede noticed the crowd cheering on to him as the spotlight was on him and he waved proudly. "Hi!," he then climbed down the peach quickly.

"Old Green Grasshopper," James announced next.

The spotlight came on him next. "My pleasure." Mr. Grasshopper bowed at the crowd.

"Earthworm!"

Earthworm posed as the spotlight came on him and everyone screamed approvingly.

"Mrs. Ladybug!"

"Charmed." Mrs. Ladybug showed her wings to everyone, making them cheer louder.

"Miss Butterfly!"

"Greetings, darlings!" Butterfly spread her wings and flew up a few feed, causing the crowd to clap loudly.

"Miss Spider!"

Miss Spider chuckled slightly and bowed at the crowd as the spotlight got on her.

"And the Glowworm!" James announced last but not least.

"God bless the colonies!" Glowworm yelled at the crowd.

"Can we eat some of your peach?" a young boy from the city asked.

"It won't keep forever." Centipede turned to James with a grin on his face.

Indeed it wouldn't, James thought. He pleasingly turned to the boy. "Go ahead!"

The many kids in New York surrounded the peach and started to eat from it.

People threw confetti out of the windows as everyone cheered. Butterfly swiftly flew around the confetti, which caused everyone to cheer louder. Butterfly giggled as she looked at the many people of New York. "I have never been so happy in my life!"

In the meanwhile, a boy shouted out to James. "Hey! What was your name?"

"It's James!" He answered.

* * *

With all that has happened, the peach pit was set up as a home in Central Park after it was eaten. James now lived with his new friends, who he now calls his family. He now had the friends and family that he needed in the world to be happy. And as for the adventure he went through, he has told it again and again to others who had curiosity about it, or just loved hearing the story. For someone who once lived miserably, now he couldn't ask for a better life.


End file.
